In aircraft, interior fittings for example, ceiling- or wall panels, are fastened to the primary structure or to other structural aircraft elements by means of correspondingly held retention- or fastening elements. During flight, the aircraft's fuselage deforms to a significant extent, for example, as a result of differences in pressure. Thus in some instances considerable tension forces act on the attachments or paneling elements, which may result in deformation or displacement of the panels and in visual change in the gap- or joint dimensions relative to each other.
Aircraft cabins are all produced with basically the same technological method. All the components, for example, wall paneling elements (window panels, window front panels, ceiling panels) are produced with expensive edge radii, with some of them being suspended three-dimensionally in space. A fixed bearing and a movable bearing ensure mobility during deformation of the fuselage. In this arrangement, however, large movements or deformations of the fuselage become immediately obvious to passengers.
At the lines of separation between the elements or panels, present-day cabin panels (e.g. dado panels or window panels) are connected by means of infill strips, which can result in a joint with a width of between approximately 10 mm and approximately 25 mm in the area arrangement of the adjacent panel. Tolerance compensation as a result of the joint arrangement (infill strip) is clearly visible in all cabins. If the panels were longer and larger, the required tolerance compensation for each gap would be larger and more visible.
Elastic masking elements within or behind the joints, for example piping tapes, are a permanent source of being a nuisance in day-to-day operations as they require regular repairs.
Moreover, the necessary removal, installation, maintenance and repair of the window panels or window front panels represent time-consuming and costly factors in day-to-day operations.
In addition, the components and joints in the spherical regions of a cabin are subject to special requirements, and many of the currently allowable solutions may not take these requirements into account and may not suffice. There needs to be a suitable alternative that can end many of these problems.